1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of microprocessors and more particularly to methods of controlling the amount of heat dissipated by a microprocessor.
2. History of Related Art
As microprocessor designs grow increasingly more complex, they demand a larger functional area and typically consume more power. The area required to implement the necessary features of modem microprocessors has caused the industry to concentrate on moving devices increasingly closer together to limit physical chip sizes and increase clock speed. Because of this trend, power density has become a major consideration in the design of microprocessors. In modem microprocessors, dense packing of heat producing functional blocks and very high clock speeds can cause the generation of more heat than the device is physically capable of dissipating. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to address this problem by simply consuming more space or eliminating selected functional blocks. Therefore, it would be desirable to implement an integrated circuit such as a microprocessor capable of monitoring the heat it produces and taking self-corrective action when the heat exceeds a threshold.